Bonnet chest

• painted wood, around 1860;
  height: 22 cm

This small, lockable chest originates from a Mönchgut family that is resident of Altreddevitz on the peninsula from the 16th century. This special example was purchased in 1957 as an exhibit for the planned 'Mönchgut Museum'. As the name suggests, the small chest is used to store headdress. In Mönchgut, this means linen bonnets, the 'Huw', woolly hats and a straw hat worn over both in the summer.

The lustre of the colours used to paint the chest is preserved. The domed lid has particularly handsome and unusual motifs, in which a tit stands in the midst of a bouquet of roses as if ready to fly off. Medallions with rose bushes, enclosed within a white row of beads, is found on the side panels.

The items most frequently encountered on Mönchgut are bonnet cases made of plywood, imported from central mountain regions with pine tree forests. It is not known where this bonnet chest originated. It is the only piece of this kind in the museum collection.